Trolltech has announced that Motorola's much anticipated A760 smartphone will be based on Trolltech's Qt/Embedded application development framework. However, the device will not make use of Trolltech's Qtopia Phone Edition, which Trolltech has pre-released to select customers but not yet formally shipped.

The Motorola A760, launched in Asia Aug. 22, 2003, is not yet available in the U.S. It runs MontaVista Linux, and it integrates mobile phone technology with a digital camera, video player, MP3 player, speakerphone, advanced messaging, instant Internet access, and Bluetooth wireless technology.

The A760 is the first handset from Motorola that will use the Linux operating system, but the company has said it will make Linux a cornerstone of its software strategy for mobile devices. Such an endorsement — from a leader in the mobile phone market with total annual sales of 22.7 billion in 2002 — lends Linux credibility in a smartphone market thus far dominated by Symbian and Microsoft.

“Motorola's commitment underscores Linux as a viable operating system for mobile phones,” said Mike Sudol, Vice President and General Manager for Motorola's GSM Products in Asia Pacific. “The combination of Linux and Trolltech's technology provides a flexible and customizable operating environment.”

Haavard Nord, CEO and co-founder of Trolltech, says, “Motorola is at the forefront of smartphone technology, and we are excited to be a part of this development.”

“We are also excited for the Linux community,” adds Eirik Chambe-Eng, President and co-founder of Trolltech.”

Trolltech hopes Motorola's choice of Qt/Embedded for the A760 will open the way for a vibrant third party developer community. There are already thousands of existing mobile applications created for Qt/Embedded, all of which can be ported to the A760, the company claims.

Qt/Embedded and Trolltech's Qtopia mobile application stack are used in several mobile Linux devices and PDAs, including Sharp's popular Zaurus line. Several Internet communities are dedicated to developing, sharing, and selling Qt/Embedded and Qtopia based software, among them Zaurus Software Index, ZaurusZone, and pdaPointer.

 
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